Chapter 7B: Serpent of Eden

Noon came in the blink of an eye. The clouds have scattered, and the sun now shone intensely on the mangrove forest. The water flowed across the lands, carrying debris to its final destination. Alex looked up at the sun with a smile. The warmth finally returned to her body. Her HP status was no longer critical, and it seemed like the fruit she ate help recover her a little. It was no way fully healed, but it wasn’t to the point where she was as fragile as a house of cards. It could be considered around one-third full.

Alex started to ponder just how sturdy her virtual body is. After the brutal beating she got yesterday, she still survived. It also seems illness doesn’t easily stay in the world. Usually, her immune system would be vulnerable, and she might have caught a cold or worst. But this world must have micro-bacteria. It should be impossible for a lively forest to sustain itself through time without micro-bacteria and phytoplankton at the bottom of the food chain.

With a sigh, Alex took the now dry tinder. She took a rock that she recognized as a piece of flint from her pocket. It caught her eye while she was scavenging. Honestly, having a bit of flint as a spark starter is a lot handier than just sticks. Taking the piece of metal off the belt of her outfit, she ground the flint against it. The rough surface of the portion of metal rubbed against the black piece of flint and sparks flew. She was surprised it worked. Perhaps the AI outfitted them with it on purpose. The sparks flew onto the dry tinder. Soon, tiny wisps of smoke started to rise out of it. Alex carefully picked up the bundle of kindling, and gently blew on it. Slowly, the infant embers began to bloom. The entire tinder was enveloped in a brilliant orange flame. Alex excitedly placed the tinder onto a bed of more dry wood. She needed to nurture the flame now.

Taking some tiny dried branches, she snapped them and made a pyramid above the tinder. Slowly, the wood was also engulfed in flames. The remaining moisture in the wood created a billowing stack of smoke that rose continuously out of the fire.

Alex felt the heat of the fire in front of her like the embrace of a loved one. She couldn’t be happier as she stared at the flame ravenously consume the wood, slowly charring it into black charcoal. She gradually added more wood as the fire roared.

When the flame can finally sustain itself for a while, Alex stood up from her knelt position. Her knees popped with a crackle as she had been in a fixed place for too long. With some stretches and a deep breath, Alex looked at the clock that appeared in front of her.

A full day has passed since she started the test. There was now six days left. Her thoughts turned to her friends. How did they fare in their test? How did it differ from hers?

She worried, but with blind confidence, she also believed they would succeed. After all, those who have made it to Gaia are the most persistent and ambitious of folks.

Alex took out another red fruit that she found earlier while scavenging. It was lucky she was able to find another one, but couldn’t help but also wonder where it came from. The water evidently carried it downstream from up above the waterfall. If she could find the plant that the fruit originated from, she could perhaps solve her issue of food for the week. The sucrose in the fruit was high, and it provided a decent amount of energy.

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Then her mind turned toward the black shadow she saw in the water. She needed a way to protect herself. With just her bare hands and no combat training, she might as well be a lemming running headfirst off a cliff. She had a pointy stick she picked up earlier to help her walk across the rugged mangrove roots and terrain, but it would only be a makeshift weapon. Against something that size, it would probably just be able to injure it, let alone kill it.

She had to set up a trap. As long as the monster existed, she cannot have a sense of safety. But what does the creature eat? If she could find some clues as to its diet, perhaps she could lure it into a pitfall.

While Alex was plotting against the creature, the creature was also watching Alex from the depths. It never encountered a human before. Its curiosity got the better of it as it continued to watch the girl work. It was surprised at the fire, but soon it lost interest in it. Apparently, its attention span was short. But due to instinct, it didn’t attack immediately. Its cunning allowed it to survive till now. Thus, it trusted its instincts. It will wait till the girl is most vulnerable.

Alex had the strange feeling like something was watching her, but she attributed it to the AI’s all-seeing gaze. On another note, she was amazed at her perception. All her senses seemed to be stronger than when she was on Gaia. No wonder everyone wanted to enter the ARK program. They can truly feel alive in such enhanced environments.

Alex finished the fruit and tossed the shell into the fire. The shell quickly shriveled up as the smoke became more intense. The smell of smoke should ward against any insects. Although she hasn’t really been assaulted by them yet, she knew it was only a matter of time after the rain ended.

Alex was a thinker. She is the type who will spend hours upon hours thinking. Her mind wanders easily. The old man one said it was a trait that benefited tinkers and inventors. But once she gets into action, it was difficult for her to stop unless the end is reached.

Alex took the sharp stick and walked toward the edge of the water. She started to dig. The mud was still soft as the rain had just finished. The stick easily sank half way in. Alex pushed the stick left and right to loosen the dirt even more. Then she got on her knees and started to scoop the mud and toss it into the water. The hole began to grow larger and larger.

She looked back at all the books she has read about deep-hole traps. She assumed with the shape of the shadow she saw; the creature must be either a snake or an eel. If it were an eel, it would easily fall into this trap. She dug a hole around a meter thick with slanted walls. It would not be able to get a stable footing to climb out of the hole if it falls in. She took some hollow bamboo she found earlier and connected the hole to the water. With the bamboo rising upwards, the water didn’t flow smoothly into the hole, so it didn’t flood. It will work for now, but if it rained, the trap would be rendered useless.

Now that she had a trap for eels, she needed a trap for snakes. Alex learned about how to set up a simple trap. After finding a firm but flexible tree, she jumped up and grabbed a branch. The tree was bent downwards as she put her weight into it. She took some vine she found and tied it to the top of the tree. Carefully, Alex tied the other end to a stick she stuck deep into the ground. The tree now contained potential energy. She took the other end of the vine and made a loop, then tied it so the loop will tighten the more they yank. With caution, she placed the loop between two twigs. If the creature were to slither through it, it will trigger the trap and be dangled from the tree.

After wiping her forehead covered with sweat, Alex smiled. Two traps are better than none. She at least has some contingency plans in case the creature comes. She could lure it to the tree trap if it were a snake or the deep-hole trap if it was an eel.

With a layer of security, Alex began her next goal, Food, and water. It stopped raining so now she needed another fresh source of water. Perhaps she can also find some food or traces of what the creature eats. Baiting the traps will improve its efficiency.

Little did she know, the creature saw her every action.